Brexit: Get ready because this time it’s for real | BBC News

July 15, 2020July 13, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The government has warned that the outcome of ongoing Brexit negotiations will not alter significant changes to trade with EU that business needs to prepare for.

“Customs declarations are complicated”: That’s according to page 8 of a 208-page government guide to importing and exporting after the transition period ends at the end of this year.

The document is dense, detailed and presents a daunting checklist for firms looking to be prepared for the biggest change to doing business with our largest and closest partner.

Some Companies Can’t Hire Fast Enough. Study Their Business Models | Inc.com

July 15, 2020July 13, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

While many businesses–and, yes, entire industries even–have suffered as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, some companies have managed to thrive in this moment.

Based on an informal poll I conducted among HR people and other interested professionals, here’s a small sampling of some of the industries that can’t hire people fast enough:

Startups Weekly: The world is eating tech | TechCrunch

July 14, 2020July 12, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You could almost hear the internet cracking apart this week as international businesses pulled away from Hong Kong and the US considered a ban on TikTok. Software can no longer eat the entire world like it had attempted last decade. Startups across tech-focused industries face a new reality, where local markets and efforts are more protected and supported by national governments. Every company now has a smaller total addressable market, whether or not it succeeds in it.

How to Trick Your Brain to Remember Almost Anything | WIRED

July 14, 2020July 12, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

MANY PEOPLE COMPLAIN about having a terrible memory. Shopping lists, friends’ birthdays, statistics for an exam—they just don’t seem to stick in the brain. But memory isn’t as set in stone as you might imagine. With the right technique, you may well be able to remember almost anything at all.

Nelson Dellis is a four-time USA Memory Champion and Grandmaster of Memory. Some of his feats of recollection include memorizing 10,000 digits of pi, the order of more than nine shuffled decks of cards, and lists of hundreds of names after only hearing them once.

But with a little dedication, Dellis says that anyone can improve their memory. Here are five steps to follow that will get your filling your head with information.

The Entrepreneur’s Playbook Always Shifts | Entrepreneur

July 13, 2020July 12, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Jonathan Boos is the founder of Würkin Stiffs, which sells shirt collar stays with embedded magnets. Boos talks with #ThePlaybook host David Meltzer about developing his collar stays, growing his business, the lessons he learned from his experience on Shark Tank and how he’s helping his retail partners right now.

Boos talks about sibling rivalry with his twin brother, growing up in his family’s business and early work experiences in the auto industry. He speaks about the inspiration that led to his invention of the magnetic collar stay in 2005.

Practicing Empathy As A Leader | Getentrepreneurial.com

July 13, 2020July 12, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Empathy As A Leader Posted by Min Tang in Communication Skills Empathy is the foundation for connecting with others, and connecting with others is an essential part of entrepreneurship. As John Lennon once said, “A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”

Entrepreneurs know that reality better than anyone. So much of entrepreneurship depends on people: your team, your customers and audience, your competition. You can’t build the next Apple or Amazon without thousands of people — or even millions — helping along the way. If those people are only strangers to you, simply dollars and cents, you’ll likely never reach your goals or be as successful as you could be.

Empathy can help business leaders in all sorts of situations, whether they’re looking for the next big idea, struggling to find a target market or simply looking for more ways to grow.

Gensler upcycles an old warehouse into creative offices in Austin | Inhabitat

July 10, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

At the heart of East Austin, an old and uninviting warehouse has been transformed into a creative office building fittingly dubbed UPCycle after its site-sensitive design approach that includes the reuse of the entire building. Gensler led the renovation and updated the space with an additional 16,000 square feet of mezzanine area as well as energy-efficient improvements including new insulation and high-efficiency mechanical systems. The industrial character of the original building has been retained and celebrated as part of an overarching goal to preserve a piece of East Austin history.

Triangular Fish Farm Nets | CoolBusinessIdeas.com

July 10, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In recent years, fish farms have increasingly started using underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) for cleaning the nets that enclose their fish pens. A relatively new one, the StealthCleaner, has a unique triangular form factor.

Manufactured by Norwegian ROV company Kystdesign, the StealthCleaner is connected to a surface-located support vessel or shore-based control station via a power/communications umbilical cable.

Utilizing real-time feeds from four onboard cameras (which are assisted by LED spotlights), the operator starts by remotely piloting the ROV through the water, over to the pen. They then guide it back and forth, in successive passes along the net.

Source: Read More

Americans are using more plastic during the pandemic. He wants to change that | CNN

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, local governments and big companies quickly changed their tune on reducing single-use plastics. They started prohibiting cloth totes in grocery stores and rejecting reusable coffee mugs at cafes. They embraced disposables once again, seeing them as the safer, more hygienic option.

Maine delayed its plastic bag ban from April 2020 to January of next year. San Francisco in March instructed businesses to bar customers from using their own bags, mugs or other reusable items in order to promote social distancing. Meanwhile, Starbucks (SBUX) stopped allowing people to use their own mugs, and McDonald’s (MCD) decided to close self-serve soda fountains as it reopens its doors.